(CNS): The Children and Youth Services (CAYS) Foundation's Family Reunification Programme has received a further US$36,585 from Hedge Funds Care Cayman, a charitbale organisation that aims to to prevent and treat child abuse and neglect. The programme is designed to strengthen vulnerable families during the transitional period when a child is being returned home from the Residential Programme and to provide support to the familyonce the child has been discharged from care. It takes a strength-based, family centered, and solution-focused approach with families, working with them primarily within their homes.

Families receive services from the Family Support Worker to assist them in developing safe, healthy, stable, supportive home-environments. The Family Support Worker focuses on skills-building as well as reinforcing positive behavioural changes and provides families with training; coaching activities, sourcing community activates for members of the family, planning and implementing family evenings, and providing practical experience in areas such as problem solving, goal planning, meal planning and other related topics.

“The practical and emotional support services of the Family Support Worker has greatly assisted us in developing a healthy relationship with the families of residents in our care”, said Angela Sealey, CEO of the CAYS Foundation. “The programme has significantly helped families improve their home management and parenting skills, by teaching and encouraging them to attend parent evenings, develop physical and emotional caring skills and understand the different ways to deal with behavioral difficulties. As we continue to grow as an organization, please know that the Hedge Funds Care grant is vital to the success of the Foundation”.

The CAYS Foundation, was established as a government owned company in December 2002 to manage and operate two residential homes, the Bonaventure Boys’ Home and the Frances Bodden Girls’ Home. The two facilities cater to children and youths between the ages of 11 years through 17 years, who are at risk and deemed to be in need of care and protection. The children are placed by the Court and may remain at the facility for a maximum period of two years.

The Residential Programme offers 24 hour residential care to residents who have had traumatic experiences, exhibit behavioural and emotional problems, low self-esteem, poor coping skills, feelings of rejection by parents and caregivers, and poor social skills. With the support of other experienced professionals, the facilities deliver a number of programmes to ensure that individual treatment needs are met for each resident. Programmes include Social and Life Skills, Behaviour Modification, Tutoring, Vocational Skills, School Shadowing Programme and Pre-work Training. Through partnerships with social workers, counsellors and other stakeholders, the ultimate goal of the Residential Programme is the reintegration of the children with their families or caregiver wherever possible.

“Over the past five years Hedge Funds Care has granted a total of US$204,448 to the CAYS Foundation. These grants have helped CAYS make their vision a reality and I hope that we can continue to support them in their efforts for a better tomorrow”, said Lauren Nelson, Chair of Hedge Funds Care.

Hedge Funds Care Cayman is a local charity founded in 2005 as the second international affiliate of Hedge Funds Care International. Since then, the Cayman chapter has distributed over USD$1.3 million in grants to agencies and organisations in the Cayman Islands that work to prevent and treat child abuse and neglect.

The overall objective of Hedge Funds Care is to put an end to child abuse and neglect. Hedge Funds Care aims to achieve this by raising awareness of the problem and the traumas inflicted from abuse and neglect, and working with organisations that help young victims of abuse.